The Darker Side of War
by Chameleon777
Summary: Continues after 'The Siege of AR-558.' The Defiant has made it back to Deep Space Nine safely, but they quickly find themselves exposed to secrets about the ongoing war that are worse than anyone thought actually possible. Chief O'Brien immediately finds himself personally involved and slowly, but surely, other Starfleet personnel and their allies are shown hidden truths.
1. Strained Homecoming

_**U.S.S. Defiant – En Route from AR-558**_

The Defiant was en route back to Deep Space Nine and Captain Sisko was contemplating what was waiting for him back on the station, but a hail suddenly shattered the silence, "Captain, we're getting a message from Deep Space Nine," one of the comm officers, a lad named Jawalski, suddenly reported in an anxious voice.

"Put it onscreen," Captain Sisko ordered, concerned that something might have happened to Nog.

Jawalski nodded and a moment later, Captain Sisko was staring at a concerned looking Kira, "Captain, I thought I would inform you that Chief O'Brien got a message from Starbase 379," Kira stated in a concerned voice. "He was ordered to proceed there immediately and I gave him permission to do so."

"Understood, Major," Captain Sisko replied calmly. "I'll radio Starbase 379 and tell Doctor Bashir to proceed with all haste back to Deep Space Nine just in case Chief O'Brien needs medical assistance. We'll be back soon."

Kira nodded and the viewscreen went blank. Captain Sisko sighed and quickly looked at Jawalski, "Contact Starbase 379 and notify Doctor Bashir that his presence is needed on Deep Space Nine as soon as possible," he ordered.

"Aye sir," Jawalski replied as he turned back to the Comms station and worked on a message to send out.

* * *

_**Slave Freighter - Unknown Space**_

The room was freezing cold and as she crept across the rock floor, Tanna ignored the fact that the blisters on her bare feet were threatening to pop open with every step she took. Her arms shook with pain and exhaustion, but she held the covered object in her arms tightly.

For nearly three months, the Jem Hadar had retained control of AR-558 because of assistance from Changeling and Breen allies, who had slaughtered many to take control of the base. The Starfleet presence had been declared dead because of falsified records and Starfleet wasn't able to check the validity of the records because all resources were stretched thin because of the raging war.

Now, instead of working to re-establish a Starfleet presence, the survivors of the takeover were struggling to survive while serving as slaves and targets for their Breen/Jem Hadar masters.

Everyone had a role and the orders were crystal clear: work hard and be quiet, or be killed.

It was now considered a quiet time of day; the Jem Hadar and Breen were off discussing strategy with their Changeling allies and the slaves were scattered everywhere, resting their worn bodies.

Taking great care not to make any noise, Tanna stepped over the rotting corpse of an officer who had been killed a week ago and moved over to an abandoned pod in the area used for ejecting trash into space. The procedure was done about once a week and nobody ever knew what became of the trash.

Allowing herself a quiet sigh, Tanna opened the pod with one of her cracked hands and gently laid the covered object inside. She extracted a small disc from her tattered Starfleet uniform and placed it inside the pod on top of the bundle. Quietly closing the pod, she stepped away.

Knowing that time was the last gift she could give, Tanna moved over to the nearest control panel and ignoring the aching in her calloused fingers, she programmed the trash compacter to eject all the trash bins from the waste room; the walls were decorated with overflowing trash pods.

As the hatch opened and all the trash pods shot out into space, Tanna turned and walked slowly towards the blood-stained, metal door that led back into the common room where all slave women were kept during the quiet period. The men and kids were kept in separate areas for the most part.

For rest times and meals, all the slaves were allowed to wear their old Starfleet uniforms so that they wouldn't die of hypothermia and deprive their masters of working hands. During working times, however, everyone wore slave tunics that were designed differently; the men wore ragged shorts and the women wore outfits similar, yet raggedier, than Terran one-piece bathing suits.

The only time that all the survivors were together was during the work time and they were all under heavy supervision, under threat of torture or death if they spoke out of turn, trying to rebuild the weaponry that had been destroyed in the last battle with the Federation.

To keep anyone from finding out about the captured base and the survivors, the Jem Hadar had forced some of the survivors to make messages that faked their deaths and the base's destruction. Starfleet had failed to follow up to ensure the authenticity of all the messages because of the raging Dominion War.

As they didn't want Starfleet to discover the truth, the Jem Hadar and Breen kept very close count of the amount of slaves they had. They killed anyone who attempted an escape on the spot.

Hopefully, by the time anyone found out there was one pod missing, the pod would be long gone.

"Goodbye, darling child," Tanna whispered in a hollow voice as she heard the pod shoot off into the sky.

Only one other had escaped nearly a month ago and everyone had suffered beatings and food deprivation because of it.

* * *

_**Deep Space Nine – Docking Ring – Two Days Later**_

"Shuttle powering down now," a mechanical voice said over the shuttle's intercom.

Miles O'Brien sighed wearily; it had been a long, but surprisingly quick journey from Starbase 371, but they were now back at the station

A retching sound quickly brought Miles back to reality and he got out of his seat just in time to see a very thin man about his age limp out of the back with a sick expression on his face. The man's hair was blonde and just as curly as Miles's, but it was rather unkempt and his clothes were little more than gray rags.

"Sorry," the man whispered in an apologetic voice as he leaned on the archway for support. "I'll…"

Miles quickly shook his head, "Don't worry about it, all right?" he replied gently. "Can you walk?"

"Not real well, but I'll manage," the man replied in an unsteady voice as he hobbled over to the shuttle door and pressed the open button with a trembling hand only to find himself staring at a white wall.

Miles cringed and quickly moved forward, "I forgot to open the airlock," he explained in an anxious voice as he quickly pressed the button releasing the airlock. "I contacted the station while you were sleeping."

The airlock quickly opened, revealing a quiet docking ring, "Miles, help me," the man whispered in an anxious voice as he suddenly felt his injured leg giving way. "I have to meet Captain Sisko, I guess."

"You should really go to Sickbay, Devin," Miles replied worriedly as he put an arm around the man and helped him walk out of the shuttle and on to the station. "Doctor Bashir's probably waiting for you."

Devin sighed and immediately winced, "You may be my big brother, Miles, but even you know that I can't get two steps without falling flat on my face," he replied, trying to catch his breath. "Hold on a sec…"

"I told Dad I was going to get you," Miles replied, watching as Devin slouched slightly to relax himself.

Devin nodded, "Figured you would," he replied in a faint voice. "How far is the Sickbay from here?"

Miles cringed as Devin suddenly pulled away and sank to his knees, "Miles, I've had it," Devin whispered in a pained voice as he placed a hand on his chest. "Go and get someone…please."

Shaking his head, Miles tapped on his combadge and knelt down next to Devin, "O'Brien to Bashir," he said in a concerned voice. "I'm at the docking ring with Lieutenant O'Brien and I need assistance."

"Forget the Lieutenant stuff, Miles," Devin whispered as he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

Miles was surprised, but relieved to see Julian standing over them with a medical kit in one hand, a folded up stretcher in the other, and a couple of male nurses lingering behind him, "Captain Sisko informed me that you'd be arriving today, Lieutenant," Julian said as he knelt down next to Devin. "I'm Doctor Bashir."

Devin nodded, but didn't speak, "Julian, I think Devin's having trouble breathing," Miles spoke softly as he watched Devin struggle to take even the simplest of breaths. "That's why he's not answering you."

"I see," Julian replied softly as he opened his med-kit and took out his medical tricorder. "All right, then."

There was silence as Julian ran the tricorder over Devin's hunched form, "You've got some internal bleeding as well as collapsing lungs," he explained to the silent Lieutenant. "Miles, help me lie him down on the floor so I can get a better sense of his injuries; the tricorder's readings are rather alarming."

Miles nodded and helped Julian to get Devin lying on the floor, "Someone get the stretcher under Lieutenant O'Brien," Julian ordered, gazing back at the three nurses who had accompanied him.

"Miles, I'm so tired," Devin whispered, cringing as he felt a stretcher being slid underneath his dangerously thin body. "Tell Captain Sisko that I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about it…"

Miles frowned at that statement, but was prevented from replying because Julian quickly administered a hypospray to Devin's neck, "Here's a little Dexalin to help with breathing until we can get you to Sickbay," Julian said in a gentle voice. "Computer, lock on to Lieutenant O'Brien and myself and initiate an emergency transport directly to the infirmary's surgical area; I don't want to risk any further injuries."

"Miles, I'm so sorry," Devin whispered, letting out a small wheeze as he and Julian dematerialized.

Miles frowned; why did Devin keep apologizing and why did he ask for Captain Sisko to be informed of some sort of failure? Miles knew that he and Devin hadn't really seen each other for several years, but they had been close as boys and now, seeing Devin again made Miles wonder what had happened…

Letting out a sigh, Miles tapped his combadge, "O'Brien to Sisko," he said abruptly. "We need to talk."

* * *

Silence filled the room as Captain Sisko sat behind the command desk with his arms folded and a very somber expression on his face, "…I want to know why Devin said that you needed to be talked to," Miles said in a concerned voice, having spent the last hour telling Captain Sisko everything that had transpired since he had arrived back at Deep Space Nine with Devin. "I've never seen him in such awful shape…"

"Chief, I know you're confused about this whole situation," Captain Sisko replied in a sympathetic voice as he gazed across the desk at his Chief of Operations. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you more about Lieutenant O'Brien's situation even though he is your brother. For now, I suggest you just be there for him."

Miles nodded, but didn't move from the chair, "I was a bit confused when I got a message from that starbase telling me that Devin was there and that he wanted me to come get him," he said in a concerned voice. "I haven't told anyone else about the message except for you and Keiko and maybe Odo."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that Keiko came to see me while you were away," Captain Sisko replied in a pleasant voice. "She told me to tell you that she put Molly and Kirayoshi together in Kirayoshi's room and she's going to let Devin stay in Molly's room while he's on the station; that way, he can be close to you."

Miles looked relieved at that and sighed, "I should probably go to the infirmary and see how Julian's doing with him," he said in a worried voice. "Julian beamed him there nearly an hour ago and I can't help but…"

"Why don't we give Doctor Bashir a call from here, Chief?" Captain Sisko suggested in a calming voice.

Miles sighed and silently watched as Captain Sisko pressed the communications console on the desk, "Sisko to Bashir," Captain Sisko said in a commanding tone. "I need an update on Lieutenant O'Brien."

"Captain, I'm quite busy at the moment," Dr. Bashir's tension filled voice replied over the intercom.

There was a pause and Captain Sisko sighed, "Doctor, I have Chief O'Brien in my office and he's rather concerned about how Lieutenant O'Brien is doing," he replied in a firm voice. "I need an update from you."

"Alright," Dr. Bashir replied in a tired voice. "Come by in about an hour and I'll give you a good update."

Miles scoffed; an hour would give him time to check the shuttle for any of Devin's belongings, clean up the mess Devin made, and also spend some time with Keiko, Molly, and Kirayoshi.

Captain Sisko gave him a knowing look and Miles sighed before standing up; "I suppose I should talk with Garak about getting Devin some clothes," Miles said in a worried voice. "Devin looks so thin…"

Nodding, Captain Sisko was silent as Miles left the office and then turned his attention to the computer. Was there more to this than could be seen?

* * *

Reviews?


	2. Complications of Survival

Everything was quiet as Miles entered the infirmary with a small container of soup in one hand and a folded up pair of civilian exercise clothes that he had used during holodeck jogging on the Enterprise. Garak had promised to have a proper uniform ready by the time Devin was officially put back on duty.

"...O'Brien, Devin Michael," Miles heard Julian say in a tired voice. "Age unknown, height unknown, weight unknown, but appears severely below par. Extensive internal and external injuries…"

Miles frowned and moved further into the infirmary, only to find Julian sitting at the Chief Medical Officer's desk with a recorder in hand, "It's been nearly two hours," Miles stated softly. "How is…?"

"Devin's vital signs were so unstable that I couldn't risk sedating him for surgery," Julian explained in a somber voice as he clicked the recorder's pause button and looked up at Miles. "I put him on oxygen via mask and gave him local anesthetics so I could repair his injuries; he's on antibiotics and nutria drips."

Nodding, Miles swallowed hard, "Can I see him now?" he asked softly. "Devin might want company."

Julian gave Miles a look that said 'I doubt it', but stood up and led Miles into the patient bay. Devin was laying on an elevated biobed with his eyes closed and a patient gown covering his emaciated form. His left leg was in a brace from the knee down and a blanket covered his other leg and his waist. His left arm was in a shoulder sling and resting on his stomach while his right sleeve was pushed up and filled with driplines that were attached to hanging bags and there was a mask covering his pale, bruised face.

"Those bruises weren't there before," Miles commented worriedly as he stared at Devin's face.

Julian sighed, "They started emerging once I started Devin on fluids," he replied somberly. "I…"

Devin suddenly coughed and opened his eyes, "C-Can I have some water?" he asked groggily as he pushed the mask off his face with his shaking right hand. "My throat's so dry…"

"Not yet," Julian replied as he grabbed a cup filled with ice chips off the table. "I want to give your body a chance to heal and that means no food or water right now; would you like a few ice chips instead?"

Devin nodded and Julian quickly poured a few ice chips into his mouth, "Don't try to chew or swallow them," Julian stated in a gentle, yet very firm voice. "Once they've dissolved, put the mask back on."

"Alright," Devin replied in a voice barely above a whisper. "How long am I going to be in here for?"

Miles looked shocked at that comment, "You just got here and already you want to know when you're going to be able to leave?" he asked in a shocked voice. "You could barely get off the shuttle…"

"I just know that Starfleet will want to talk to me," Devin replied softly. "It's standard procedure…"

Miles suddenly looked concerned, but Julian cleared his throat, "I'm the Chief Medical Officer of this station, Lieutenant, and I haven't declared you medically fit for any sort of duties," he said in a firm voice as he placed the mask back on Devin's face. "Why don't you just relax for now; maybe have a nap?"

Devin scowled and forced the mask off, "That stupid mask dries my throat out," he replied in a tired voice as he lowered his hand. "I've had enough bad experiences with those horrible masks…"

Miles frowned, "Devin, what are you talking about?" he asked in a worried voice. "It's an oxygen mask."

"Oxygen masks also deliver paralyzing anesthetics," Devin replied tiredly. "Please, don't make me…"

Julian frowned, but nodded, "Just relax and lie very still," he replied as he turned to the tray and picked up an inhaler-like device, "This is a medication very similar to medication that asthma patients used to use and it'll make you tired, but it'll also help your lungs. All you have to do is inhale it slowly, all right?"

Devin sighed as Julian eased the device into his hand, "Yeah, all right," he replied tiredly as he carefully slipped the device into his mouth and breathed slowly for several seconds before pulling it out. "Miles…"

"Get some sleep, Devin," Miles stated firmly as he sat down on the stool beside the biobed. "I'll stay."

Miles was quiet as Devin closed his eyes, "Chief, if you could stay here for a little while, I need to go speak with Captain Sisko," Julian whispered into Miles's ear. "I'll post a Security detail outside…"

"I don't know if a Security detail is really necessary, Julian," Miles replied as he watched Devin sleep.

Julian looked as if he wanted to disagree, but nodded and silently left the room. Miles sighed deeply and carefully adjusted the blanket so it was better covering Devin's body so that Devin would be more comfortable during whatever time he spent in the infirmary. Devin mumbled softly, but didn't wake.

* * *

"Devin O'Brien was at the same Starbase Nog is at, yet he refused any sort of treatment according to Starfleet records and immediately contacted Chief O'Brien," Julian explained as he handed the stylus containing Devin's medical assessment across the desk to Captain Sisko. "Why would he do that?"

Captain Sisko sighed and, taking the stylus, he tapped in some commands on his computer, "Devin's service record has limited information on it and he's obviously not in any shape to talk just yet," he replied in a concerned voice as he returned the stylus to Julian. "While you were treating Devin in the infirmary, I put in a call to Admiral Ross requesting extended medical leave for Devin and it was approved on condition that Devin allow him to come and personally debrief Devin on the station."

"Captain, I'm not sure how long it will be before Lieutenant O'Brien will be up for any long-term conversations," Julian protested in a concerned voice. "If Starfleet insists on a debriefing, I'll have to also be there to monitor Lieutenant O'Brien with the authorization to stop the interview at any time."

Captain Sisko nodded, "I also want you to keep Lieutenant O'Brien off duty for as long as he needs to be," he replied in a concerned voice. "Maybe also suggest that Ezri do some sessions with him when she gets back…"

"I was going to suggest that to Lieutenant O'Brien first before I talked to Ezri," Julian cut in, his voice steady. "I'm sure that Chief O'Brien will also be very protective of his brother during his time here."

Captain Sisko swallowed hard, "Keep me posted on Lieutenant O'Brien's recovery and how he's adjusting to being on the station," he replied in a somber voice. "How long until he's up and…?"

"I'm not planning on releasing Lieutenant O'Brien from the infirmary for at least a couple of days, Captain," Julian replied in a somber voice. "He's in a lot of pain and definitely in need of rest."

Captain Sisko sighed, "I'll do what I can to keep Starfleet Command from demanding to talk to him too soon," he said in a cautious tone. "They will, however, want to debrief him as soon as possible…"

"At least give me enough time to get Lieutenant O'Brien out of the infirmary and settled in quarters where he can be supervised," Julian stated in a worried voice. "My other conditions also still stand."

Captain Sisko nodded, "I'll relay what you've told me to Admiral Ross," he replied softly. "Now, Doctor, I've got other work to do, but thank you for updating me on Lieutenant O'Brien's condition."

Understanding himself to be dismissed, Julian stood up and left Captain Sisko's office. Captain Sisko sighed and looked at the service record he had on the screen; recovery would not be that easy.

* * *

"Miles, I'm feeling dizzy," Devin whispered as he slowly opened his eyes. "Can I have some ice?"

Miles picked up the small cup of ice chips, but frowned when Devin suddenly raised a hand to his forehead, "My head is killing me," Devin whispered in a pained voice. "I'm going to be sick…"

Before Miles could react, Devin turned his head and threw up on the floor, "I don't feel right," Devin whispered faintly as he suddenly passed out and began to convulse violently, nearly falling.

"Devin!" Miles shouted anxiously as Julian came back into the infirmary. "Devin, can you hear me?"

Julian swore loudly, hurried to Devin's bedside, and picked up his medical tricorder, "The readings are detecting some sort of artificial mass in Devin's brain," he said in an anxious voice as Devin suddenly stopped seizing and went limp. "I'm going to have to run a more detailed neuroscan right now and possibly perform intracranial surgery once I know what it is; it could be the cause of the seizure."

Miles nodded with a look of concern and horror on his face, "I think I'm going to call my dad and stepmother and tell them to hold off on their plans to travel to Deep Space Nine for a while," he said as he stepped back so that Julian could work. "I was on the comm with my dad last night and he and my stepmother were talking about getting the next available shuttle out here, but maybe now…"

"Just hold off on making any calls until I know what I'm dealing with," Julian replied as he looked towards three nurses that were working at the lab table. "I need some help with this patient! I want a stat neuroscan and also to prep for cranial surgery."

Miles frowned as the nurses came over to the bed, "Chief, do you have the same blood type as Devin?" Julian asked in a concerned voice. "I'll need some blood for the surgery; this is a risky surgery."

"Yeah," Miles replied as he rolled up his left sleeve. "How much of my blood do you need, Julian?"

Before Julian could reply, a nurse came over to them, "Doctor Bashir, the neuroscan's picking up a small metallic mass in Lieutenant O'Brien's cerebral cortex," he reported in an anxious voice. "It's active and giving off electrical charges, which could explain the seizures. It seems to have data stored within it."

"Prep Lieutenant O'Brien for emergency surgery immediately," Julian replied somberly. "Chief, if you'll come with me, I'll take some blood. While you're resting on the biobed, I need you to call Security."

Miles nodded and followed Julian past Devin's bed as curtain was drawn around it to ensure privacy.

* * *

Several hours later, Miles found himself sitting in Captain Sisko's office along with Major Kira and Odo, who had come to Sickbay and collected the device that had been carefully removed from Devin's brain.

Odo had taken the chip to the Science department, who had quickly analyzed it and determined it to be a data recorder and also a focus chip. Odo had immediately notified Sisko and a meeting was called.

"…It seems that this chip was somehow implanted into Lieutenant O'Brien's brain to control his behavior and also to record it," Odo explained in a somber voice. "It's not the Federation's way to resort to such tactics, so my guess is that this chip was planted in him by someone within the Dominion. I don't…"

Captain Sisko sighed, "You also said that Science reported that the data was encoded with some sort of access code that is currently impenetrable?" he asked worriedly. "If that's the case, we'll have to see what Lieutenant O'Brien can remember about the chip; if he can remember where it came from."

"I don't know when Devin will wake up, let alone when he'll feel like discussing what's happened to him," Miles explained in a concerned voice. "Doctor Bashir said that the surgery went well and that Devin's stable, but that he'll probably be asleep for a while because of the seizure."

Major Kira frowned, "Shouldn't Ezri be notified that there's a patient in need of counseling?" she asked.

"Ezri's still on Starbase 371 with Nog," Captain Sisko replied. "Quark just talked to her last night and Nog is making progress, but he still has a long way to go."

Major Kira nodded and looked at the chip that Odo was holding, "Do you think there are actually beings out there who use behavior control chips on prisoners of war?" she asked in a worried voice. "If this happened to Lieutenant O'Brien, what's to say that there aren't others out there who have had…?"

"Major, I am writing up a report and am going to send it to Admiral Ross in the morning," Captain Sisko replied in a somber voice. "With resources stretched thin because of the Dominion War, it's possible that this problem could have developed because someone knew that resources were stretched."

Miles sighed, "I'd be more concerned about the fact that there are prisoners of war out there that are obviously unaccounted for," he cut in in a very concerned voice. "When I arrived at Starbase 371, Devin was in their infirmary, but refusing treatment because he had very little memory of how he got there. They wanted to keep him there, but Devin refused AMA."

"If the chip was active then, it's not surprising," Odo interjected in a concerned voice. "Since there's no telling what state Lieutenant O'Brien will be in when he wakes up, perhaps I'd better situate myself in Sickbay to keep the peace."

Miles frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Captain Sisko nodded, "I think it's a wise course of action until we know more about Lieutenant O'Brien's condition," he stated firmly. "Chief, I know you don't agree, but it's for safety reasons."

Even though Miles wasn't happy with Captain Sisko's worry that Devin was dangerous, he silently nodded his agreement.


	3. What Really Is

_**Three Days Later**_

"…Captain Sisko, it seems to me that your concerns might have been a bit unsettling to Mister O'Brien," Captain Picard said in a thoughtful voice as he looked at his friend on the screen. "I don't know much about Devin O'Brien, but from the information you sent Starfleet, I do know that the young man has gone through a terrible ordeal and a quick recovery is not anticipated nor is it expected."

Captain Sisko nodded, "What about the information I gave you concerning my suspicions?" he asked.

"Well, Starfleet Command thinks that the Enterprise is the perfect ship to investigate and see if any hidden camps exist," Captain Picard replied somberly. "I hope that this isn't too big of a mess."

There was a tense silence and Captain Picard sighed, "Once we've done a patrol of this sector, Starfleet Command has ordered us to visit Deep Space Nine so that Counselor Troi can talk to Lieutenant O'Brien about what he may or may not remember," he explained somberly. "We should be there in about a week or so and that should give Lieutenant O'Brien enough time to rest and adjust to the station."

"I'll let the appropriate people know," Captain Sisko replied. "Thank you for informing me, Jean-Luc."

Captain Picard nodded and the viewscreen went black, "I take it that Starfleet Command is taking the allegations of hidden camps and prisoners of war seriously?" Kira, who had been present in the office for the conversation between Sisko and Picard, asked in a concerned voice. "Isn't that good?"

"I'm not sure yet," Captain Sisko replied somberly. "Sooner or later, Lieutenant O'Brien will have to think about what happened to him and talk about it; I just hope he'll be ready to do that when he needs to."

Kira nodded, "I think Doctor Bashir might be releasing Lieutenant O'Brien today," she replied softly.

"Chief O'Brien will have to go by the Promenade to get to his quarters," Captain Sisko said as he got to his feet. "Maybe we should go down and introduce ourselves to help the Lieutenant feel at ease."

Kira got to her feet, "That would be a good idea," she replied softly. "It would help him a lot, I think."

* * *

_**Infirmary**_

"Devin?

Miles frowned as Devin remained asleep, "Devin, are you okay?" he asked in a worried voice.

"I'm fine, Miles," Devin replied in a faint, groggy voice as he opened his eyes. "Just resting my eyes."

Miles nodded, but didn't look convinced, "You're supposed to try sitting up for a few minutes now that you're out of the woods," he said in a worried voice. "Julian wants to start you eating solid food."

"I just need a minute," Devin replied softly as he slowly sat upright. "I'm just very sore."

Miles nodded and gazed at Devin's casted leg, bandaged head, and the drip-lines that were still in Devin's arms until he was officially released from the infirmary, "How are you feeling today, Lieutenant O'Brien?" Julian asked in a kind voice as he looked at the overhead monitor. "Your vitals are a bit off…"

"I'm just tired and very sore, Doctor," Devin replied softly. "Miles said you want me to eat solid food?"

Julian nodded, "First I want to check your wounds to see how they're healing," he replied in a gentle voice, concerned by how pale Devin still was despite all the fluids and nutria-drips. "If you could just remove your shirt, please? I'll be checking the wounds as well as how well the dressings are working."

"All right," Devin replied softly, wincing ever so slightly as he carefully took off his patient shirt, revealing bandages around his upper and lower chest, dressings over his abdomen, and multi-colored bruises.

Julian was about to begin his examination when he suddenly noticed small numbers imprinted on Devin's left shoulder, just below the collarbone, "What are those numbers?" he asked worriedly.

Devin was quiet for several minutes before he sighed, "Prisoner identification numbers," he replied softly, being careful to avoid Miles's horrified gaze. "Doctor Bashir, can we please get on with it?"

"Of course," Julian said, realizing that Devin was embarrassed about the numbers. "Just lie back."

Devin nodded, slowly laid back down, and was silent as Julian removed each of the aged dressings and carefully examined each of the healing wounds, "Everything seems to be healing nicely," Julian stated in a gentle voice as he carefully put new dressings over the sutures. "You can put the patient top back on."

"Just a sec," Devin replied in a shaky voice as he closed his eyes. "I'm feeling a little bit shaky."

Julian frowned and picked up the tricorder, "Your blood sugar is low," he replied as he ran it over Devin's recovering body. "Maybe liquids and nutria-drips aren't enough for you anymore."

Miles sighed and quickly pulled out a small container of soup that he had left with Devin's small bag a couple of days before, "Keiko made this for you from scratch a few days ago," he explained, showing Devin the container. "It's some sort of special chicken soup that she makes when anyone is sick."

_He was standing in a line with several other badly beaten men who only wore shorts and held large sacks of tools over their shoulders. On the opposite shoulder, their freshly imprinted tattoos identified them and it was what the guards, all of whom were armed, glared at as they walked around the prisoners while instructions were delivered over a metal intercom that was just next to the ventilation system._

"_Rations are heavily restricted…If you work well, you'll eat and if you don't, you'll go without…"_

"Devin?

Devin blinked, "Sorry," he replied in a hollow voice as he looked at Miles and Julian. "Soup?"

"I'll heat it up," Miles promised, worried about Devin's demeanor. "Just rest easy, all right?"

Devin nodded, "Do you think I'll be allowed to leave the medical barracks soon?" he asked softly.

"Medical barracks?" Julian asked as he picked up Devin's top. "Lieutenant, this is an infirmary."

Frowning at Devin's confusion, Miles silently walked over to the replicator and set the small container down inside of it, "Heat this soup to a medium warm temperature," he ordered the replicator.

Julian sighed, "I want to keep you here for at least two more days so you can get used to sitting up and eating actual food," he replied gently, offering Devin the shirt. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

"No," Devin replied in a pained voice as he slowly sat up, took the shirt, and put it back on before he laid back to relieve the sudden pressure in his head and chest. "I'm still feeling a lot of pain when I sit up."

Julian nodded as Miles came back with the soup and a spoon in hand, "Some food will help you feel better," Miles replied as he sat down on the bedside stool and dished up some soup. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Devin replied softly, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to feed himself for a while yet.

Miles gently fed Devin a few spoonfuls of soup, "It tastes different," Devin said in a faint voice as he suddenly began to feel extremely tired. "Miles, what did you put in that soup? I'm feeling tired."

"You're tired because your body's trying to readjust to food," Julian replied calmly. "Just eat slowly."

Devin nodded and sighed, "I ate, but it was a bunch of tasteless rations that weren't enough to keep an animal alive," he said in a pained voice as he closed his eyes. "I often had to fight for my food…"

Miles looked almost horrified at hearing that, but didn't say anything, "Enough," Devin whispered in a tired voice as he again closed his eyes. "I seriously can't eat anymore; my gut feels ready to explode."

"Hmm," Julian replied in a concerned voice as he scanned Devin with the medical tricorder and let out a concerned sigh while looking at the overhead monitor. "Computer, initiate full internal scan now."

Miles frowned as the scan initiated and quickly completed, "Julian, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Internal scar tissue ruptured and it's obviously causing pain," Julian replied in a concerned voice as he looked at the pale Lieutenant. "Devin, I'm sorry about this, but I have to perform more surgery."

Devin groaned softly, but didn't open his eyes, "Miles, go be with your family," he said in a pain-filled voice, hating that he was such a burden. "I'll be all right for a little while once I'm fixed up."

Miles, however, didn't move and his gaze shifted to Odo, who had been silently hiding in a corner of Sickbay periodically over the past three days, "I'll have to put some tubes in your colon and intestines to allow them time to heal properly," Julian explained gently. "It's an old Earth procedure, but I think…"

"Just do it," Devin replied sleepily as he breathed deep and immediately felt intense pain. "Hurts…"

Julian nodded and moved off to prepare for the surgery, "I don't want to see Dad right now, Miles, and I think you know why," Devin said in a pain-filled voice. "It's my fault that Brennan was hurt…"

"Dad doesn't blame you," Miles said in a shocked voice, cutting Devin off. "He's been worried…"

Devin scoffed and immediately winced, "I'm sorry I got angry with you, Miles," he replied in a softer voice as he lifted a hand to touch his abdominal area. "I'm just really frustrated about things."

"How come you didn't let anyone look at you at the starbase?" Miles asked worriedly. "I could have…"

Devin sighed, "If I was going to be medically grounded indefinitely, I'd rather have at least one person around that I knew," he replied softly. "I know you would have stayed at the starbase, but I didn't want you to be apart from your wife and kids for so long. Ugh, I seriously feel like I'm imposing on you."

"You're not," Miles said in a firm voice as he looked over at Julian. "Julian, what are you doing?"

Devin suddenly swallowed hard, "Is there another way besides the tubes to fix what's wrong?" he asked as Julian came back over to the bed. "The idea of having tubes in my body doesn't appeal to me."

"The tubes will allow you to be able to eat without pain and they won't prevent you from moving around," Julian replied calmly, seeing Devin's fear. "Once the tubes are actually inside your body, they'll release antibiotics that will repair your intestines and once the job's done, the tubes will dissolve…"

For a moment, Devin was quiet, "Just make sure I don't feel them being put into my body," he said in a tired, anxious voice as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to relax. "I don't want to feel them…"

"You won't feel the tubes," Julian replied in a reassuring voice. "I'll get you prepped, all right?"

As Julian moved back to the medical supply cabinet, he locked eyes with Odo, "Inform Captain Sisko of this development," he whispered in a quiet voice so that Devin and Miles wouldn't overhear them. "Also see if anything's come of the analysis on the chip that was in Devin's brain; I've been wondering…"

Devin suddenly let out a groan and passed out cold, causing the bioalarm to whine loudly just as Captain Sisko and Kira came in, "Devin!" Miles yelled anxiously as Julian rushed over to the bed. "Julian, what..?"

"Everyone get out NOW!" Julian yelled angrily as he quickly pressed some buttons and watched a surgical frame slide up over Devin's frail body before he turned on the surgical screen. "Shoot!"

Captain Sisko's eyes widened as a nurse in a Bajoran uniform ran over to the bed, "Get some supplies while I stabilize Lieutenant O'Brien," Julian snapped without looking up from the screen. "Captain, Major Kira, I need you to get Chief O'Brien out of here so I can concentrate without any distractions!"

"Is Devin going to be okay?" Miles asked as he forced himself to be led out of the infirmary.

Captain Sisko sighed, "I don't know the answer to that, but I hope so," he replied in as calm a voice as he could, given the seriousness of the situation. "Chief, you should know that Starfleet is aware of the situation and that the Enterprise has been given access to the data in the chip retrieved from your brother's brain and are using it to try and find out if any slave camps exist in the Alpha Quadrant."

"Do you think I could be given access to the data, Captain?" Miles asked. "He is my brother, after all."

Captain Sisko was quiet for a moment and then nodded, "If you promise not to share it with anyone else for the time being, yes," he replied in a very firm, somber voice. "The data's safely hidden in my office."

Miles nodded, "Major Kira, I want you to work with Odo and make sure that nobody disrupts Doctor Bashir for the time being," Captain Sisko said in a commanding voice. "Come with me, Chief."

As Miles and Captain Sisko walked off, Kira peeked in the infirmary and saw that Julian and several nurses were surrounding Lieutenant O'Brien's bed in surgical gowns and they looked very busy.

"Prophets, spare Lieutenant O'Brien's life," Kira whispered somberly. "Please show your mercy."

* * *

"Captain, how was your conversation with Captain Sisko?" Troi asked as Captain Picard came out of the ready room with an intrigued, yet concerned expression on his face. "Was it very informative?"

Captain Picard nodded as he walked back to his seat and sat in between Troi and Riker, "Captain Sisko is sharing the information collected from the data chip in Lieutenant O'Brien's brain with us and we're going to use it to see if we can find any evidence of these unauthorized prisoner camps in this sector," he explained as he looked forward. "I can't imagine what Lieutenant O'Brien must have gone through."

"The idea of a prisoner camp sounds rather old style," Riker replied worriedly. "Do you think that…?"

Captain Picard sighed, "Even in this century, Number One, it is possible," he explained in a somber voice.

"Commander Riker, other races may feel threatened by Humans so much that they might work together to dominate the Humans in an act of preservation," Troi commented in a worried voice. "It's very possible with the Dominion War going on, that some officers managed to fall through the cracks."

Captain Picard nodded as Data came down the ramp, "Captain, I have spent the last hour reviewing what data has been retrieved from the chip and it appears that Lieutenant O'Brien was responsible for rescuing prisoners and suffered a great deal for his trouble. I do not know who he rescued, however…"

"I wonder if we could find any of the prisoners Lieutenant O'Brien rescued," Riker suggested in a curious voice, deeply troubled that there was clear evidence of prisoner camps. "Maybe they could help…"

Captain Picard looked up at Data, "Data, can you identify any of the prisoners through the information gathered on the chip?" he asked in an intrigued voice. "If you can contact any of the prisoners…"

"I have already identified one prisoner, but it is impossible that she is alive because she died in the line of duty according to Starfleet records," Data replied in a concerned voice. "I have brought her record…"

As a picture appeared on the PADD, Captain Picard's eyes narrowed in confusion while both Troi and Riker looked shocked, "She died while undercover," Riker replied anxiously. "How can she be alive?"

The face staring at Captain Picard, Commander Riker, and Trio was that of Ensign Sito Jaxa, but her face was bruised and pale and the name listed was different. It was if Sito was undercover yet again. Her current location was listed as 'Bajor .'

"Helm, set a course for Bajor," Captain Picard ordered in a commanding voice. "Engage at maximum warp."


End file.
